Land-working apparatus



May 18 I926.

y' A. E. CALDWELL 4 LAND WORKING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 28, 1925 A 2. cwag u I BY .Qb-xfig Patented May 18, 1926,

unit T asset ARCHIE n. CALDWELL, or COLUMBIA, onrrronnra.

LAND-WORKING APPARATUS.

Application filed September This invention relatesto, improvements in apparatus for working land, and particularly to a deviceespecia'lly intended for use in connection with surface mining, to handle the land in such a manner that the gold or other valuable minerals therein may be readily extracted. f

At present, eXpecially in this and'other gold producing States, there are large areas, principally creek or gravel beds, in which gold may be found, but which it is im. possible to extract in a commercially profit able manner with the apparatus at present available. I

Bucket or clam shell dredgers are frequently employed in working such land, but such machines cannot handle nor dispose of the large boulders frequently encountered, and which areapt to conceal rich gold-containing pockets. These dredgers are also expensive to construct and operate, and require a body of water onv which they may float.

The principal object of my invention therefore is to provide a device for working i such low-grade properties in an efficient and profitable manner, without the necessity of a large body of water being maintained; with a relatively small outlay of capital for the construction and operation of the apparatus; and with the use of a relatively small power plant to operate the device.

The apparatus can also move any large "boulders which may be encountered, and,

expose and work the land there under de pending on the formof tool or ground working implements used on the apparatus, the ground may be broken up, scraped, plowed, leveled, or otherwise treated as conditions may require. The apparatus is therefore not only suitable for mining operations, but can be used for ground clearing or leveling, excavating, rod and embankment building; and if the tools used are saws, the device may be used for sawing-felled logs in the woods. l

' A. further object of the invention is to i provide a device for the purpose so constructed that when inoperation there are no idling movements of the tool-carrying members, and the tools function continuously;

Still another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus whose various parts are so arranged that while the entire device 28, 1925. Serial No. 59,244;

constitutes a single unit, the various parts may be located at different points relative to each other. This enables the device'tn be rigged up for operation on the land regardless of the contour and other physical characteristics of the same. i r

A further object of the invention isto produce a simple and inexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims. 4

The figure on the drawing is a top-plan view of one form of the complete apparatus, ready for operation.

Referring now more particular-iv to the characters of reference on the drawings, the apparatus comprises three independent but operatively associated stationary units; a power plant A,a cable winding mechanism B, and a dead man structure C.

UnitsA and B are mounted in longitudi nal alinement with each other, but unit C, while also shown in 'alinement with the others, is not necessarily so. 7 I

Unites A and B are preferably" located somewhat close to each other, but the unit C may be at any distance from the'unit-B, depending on the conditions under which the apparatus is to operate.

Unit A comprises a power plant such as a gas engine 1, electric motor, or steam donkey engine, which power plant drives a pulley 2. If a gas engine is used, as shown, a reversive mechanism 3 is utilized to enable the direction of rotation of the pulley to be reversed atjany time. These parts are mounted on a portable bed t, so as to form a rigid but movable unit.

Unit B comprises a pulley 5 in alinenient with pulley 3 and considerably larger than the same, so that the power of the engine is stepped up to a proportionate extent.

A belt 6 connects the pulleys moui'ited'in direct connection with pulley 5 and located on each side of the same is a plurality of drums 7. These drums and pulley are mounted on a rigid portable bed 8, suitably anchored against movement as by means of anchor devices 9 suitably connected to. the

bed.

around said drum from above the same.

Units A and B, though described as separatedstructures, may if desired be arranged as asingle unit.

Unit C comprises a heavy horizontal frame consisting of a member 10 extending at right angles to the axis of the drums or in alinement with the line of pull of any cables wound on said drums.

Rigidly connected and braced to the member 10 at the end nearest the drum unit is a transverse member 11. This frame is secured against movement beyond the ground area to be worked by means of an anchor structure indicated at 12.

A plurality of sheaves 13 are adjustably mounted along the member 10, while other sheaves 1 are similarly mounted in suitably spaced relation along the member 11.

The movable ground working structure comprises a number of heavy frames 15 extending transversely of their line of travel or parallel to the frame member 11. These frames are provided with suitable sockets as at 16, as well asbracketsetc. so as to enable any desired form of implement, such as rakes, plows, scrapers, saws, etc., to be detachably mounted thereon.

The frames 15 are connected toeach other, so that when one advances toward the frame C the other will move away from the same and vice versa, by means of flexible elements 17. These elements are attached at one end to one of the frames 15, then pass around the corresponding sheaves 1st, thence around the sheaves 13 to theother sheaves M, then around said latter sheaves to connection with the other frame 15.

By adjusting the settings of the sheaves 14, the transverse spacing of the. frames 15 from each other nay be altered at will, as will be evident. The elements 17 are preferably cables except near the frames 15, Where chains 18 are preferably used, in order to enable connections from any implements to be easily hooked thereto if desired.

A cable 19 is connected to one frame 15 and extends thence to a correspondingly located drum '7, said cable being wrapped A similar cable 20 extends from the other frame 15 to a corresponding drum 7, being wrapped around said drum from under the same.

It will therefore be seen that when the drums turn in one direction, cable 19 will be wound onto its drum, drawingthe frame 15 there toward, while the other cable 20 is paying off the drum, allowing its frame 15 to recede. \Vhen the direction of rotation of the drums is reversed, an opposite move ment of the implement frames is of course had.

lVith the advancing movement of a frame 15, the other frame 15 is positively retracted,- at the same speed and with equal force, by

reason of the flexible connections 17 extending therehetween.

The cables 19 and 20 are so wound on to their respective drums that when one frame 15 is in its fully advanced position, the other frame is fully retracted, and vice versa.

lYhile l have shown two implement carrying frames, more may be used if desired. by a rearrangement of the sheaves 1 3 and 14 and by the utilization of the other drums 7.

The length of the elements 17 is determined by the distance it is desired that the implenient-frames shall travel, while the spacing between the drum unit and the dead man unit is sullicient to allow the frames to reciprocate through the necessary distance, as well as then providing space between the drum unit and the adjacent limit of working operations for the positioning of concentrators. or other dcvic s to take care of the material brought to that point by the implements. If a road or cmhanlci'nent is being built, such structure would be located in the above mentioned space.

By reason of the equal pressure,applicd to the frames 15 regardless of the direction of travel of the latter, it will be evident that they will effectively work the ground when moving in both directions. One such movement can therefore be used in breaking up the land and the other in moving it forward.

If it is desired to move any material, such as boulders etc., to one side of the direct path of travel, lateral pressure may be applied to one of the frames during its forward movement by means of a cable indicated at 21, so that the material engaged by said frame will also be shifted laterally.

If rendered necessary by different physical characteristics of the land adjacent the sphere of operations, the unit (1 may be set at any desired angle relative to the unit B by the use of direction changing sheaves cugaging cables 19 and 20 intermediate their ends.

I have here only atten'lptcd to set forth a few of the many uses and arrangcmcnts of which the structure is capable, but it will be evident that my apparatus will be useful under almost any conditions, and that the cost of manufacture, setting up, and opcrzv tion will be very low.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fullills the objccls of the invention as set forth herein.

lVhile this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice. such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit,

I claim as new and useful and desire to securc by Letters Patent is:

1. A land working apparatus including a fixed horizontal structure spaced implement supporting frames, spaced sheaves mounted on said structure, flexible elements connected at their ends to the frames and passing intermediate their ends about the sheaves; the length of said elements being sufficient to allow of a predetermined amount of reciprocative movement of the frames to and from the structure, and drive means for imparting such movement to the frames.

2. A land working apparatus including a pair of transversely arranged drums disposed adjacent each other, a fixed deadman structure, flexible means including cables wound in opposed relation on the drums, said means passing about the deadman structure, whereby to form two runs between the drums and said structure, and implement supporting frames fixed on said runs.

3. A land working apparatus including transversely spaced implement sup-porting frames, drums mounted in fixed relation to the frames beyond the plane of movement thereof, means for reversibly driving the drums, a deadman structure, and means between the drums, frames and deadman struco ture for imparting opposed reciprocatory movement to the frames with the driving of the drums.

4;. A structure as in claim 3, in which means is provided for enabling the transverse spacing between the frames to be altered at will.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

ARCHIE E. CALDWELL. 

